


Day One: Holding Hands

by glow_in_the_dark



Series: 30 Day Merlock OTP Fanfic Challenge [1]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: 30 Day OTP Challenge, Fluff, Holding Hands, Johnlock Fluff, M/M, Merlock
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-17
Updated: 2014-09-17
Packaged: 2018-02-17 17:46:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2317997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glow_in_the_dark/pseuds/glow_in_the_dark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You're late." John stated, moving his body until he lay on his side on the very edge of the dock, Sherlock looking up at him with a fond smile from the shallow shore he was wading in.</p><p>-----------------------</p><p>30 Day Merlock OTP Fanfic Challenge: Day One - Holding Hands</p>
            </blockquote>





	Day One: Holding Hands

**Author's Note:**

> Not beta'd, just my awesome editing prowess so all faults be mine C:

Being in a relationship with a mermaid was anything but simple. Or easy, for that matter.

Their time together was limited for starters. John had appearances to keep up to draw any suspicion away from him constantly disappearing from London for days at a time, excuses of his partner living in another city and having a career so consuming that they were unable to come down and visit him ready to repeat. Then there was the fact that on the dates that they had agreed to meet, Sherlock wasn't always the most reliable partner, more often than he should being on the other side of the world examining the latest oceanic catastrophe or collecting information on the whereabouts of long lost sunken ships.

So it was hardly a surprise when John found himself on the agreed upon abandoned dock alone.

The day was a good one though, so John was going to enjoy his weekend with or without his unpredictable, unreliable, un _real_ aquatic partner. 

John had been on the abandoned dock long enough to get comfy and relax a bit, lying back with his arms pillowed under his head as he let the sun warm him from the outside in.

He was so relaxed that he hadn't realised he had fallen asleep until he was woken by the sudden feeling of cold water droplets landing on his face. It had happened before a few times, so John merely woke with a smile, not bothering to open his eyes as cold wet lips met his own warmer dry ones in a brief press of a greeting.

"You're late." John stated, moving his body until he lay on his side on the very edge of the dock, Sherlock looking up at him with a fond smile from the shallow shore he was wading in.

"I had a few things to get before I came here."

John stretched out a lazy hand to run through Sherlock's dripping curls. "If it's more sea junk that you think is interesting…"

"That boot was _fascinating,_ John. The fact that you were too blind to see just _why_ -"

"I know, I know. Pirate boots are the epitome of sunken treasures in your books." John cupped his hand around the back of Sherlock's head, gently urging Sherlock up until the mer came more than willingly to share a kiss that lasted a little longer than the one before it. "I missed you." John admitted, closing his eyes as Sherlock pressed kisses over his temples, cheeks, eyelids, tip of his nose, jaw.

"And I you. That is why I felt I should show just how much you mean to me during our absences through a gift."

From places unknown, Sherlock took John's hand in his and pressed a gem that seemed to be both grey, blue and purple into his palm. "What is it?"

"The fact that you can't tell just from looking-"

 _"Sherlock."_ John's tone was a warning.

Sighing as if it was the greatest grievance in the world, Sherlock sunk back down into the water to explain. "It's called 'Musgravite', named after the Musgrave Range of Southern Australia where it was discovered in 1967. It's composition is made up of magnesium, beryllium, aluminium, zinc, iron, and oxygen. It's incredibly rare and I was unbelievably lucky to have even have come into the possession of-"

"It's the same colour as your eyes." John sat up abruptly, holding the precious stone up to Sherlock's face so he could compare it to the mer's eyes directly. "It's the _exact same colour_ as your eyes, Sherlock." John huffed out a breath of bewilderment. "It's… _Sherlock_ , it's…I…"

Sherlock smiled, as John all but fell off the dock and into the water in his need to be as close to the mer as possible in that moment. His clothes were immediately sodden, Sherlock's hands going to John's sides to support him as the man couldn't stop looking back between the small rock of musgravite and Sherlock's unbelievable irises.

"It's the same-"

"I know." Sherlock cut him off. "One of the first things you say to me every time we meet is how much you've missed me. Hopefully this stone will make the wait between our meetings a little more bearable."

 _"Sherlock."_ John melted into Sherlock as the mer moved about beneath the water, trying to find a position that would let them both relax into each other's embrace.

There was a large rock emerged beneath the water against the wooden support beams of the dock that Sherlock had relocated a couple months back for just this purpose. Sherlock sat on it, John moving so that he sat across Sherlock's scaly lap, the left side of his body pressed against the front of Sherlock's torso as he rested his head upon the mer's chest.

"Where on earth did you find it?" Both of John's hands were clutching the stone protectively between their bodies, unable to tear his eyes from the way the musgravite changed colour in the light the _same way_ Sherlock's eyes did.

Sherlock wrapped his right arm around John to help support the human more, bringing his left hand up to cup around the backs of John's hands where he was holding the rare stone. "Antarctica. There have been recent discovers of a few gems there, so I thought it would be worth a look to see if perhaps any of the gems were lying on the ocean floor." They couldn't really hold hands, him and John. The webbing between Sherlock's hands made it difficult to do anything other than cross fingertips, but he knew how much importance John placed in the simple act of placing their hands together. 

Somewhat predictably, John went liquid-like in Sherlock's arms, his body a relaxed calm as their joined hands moved to press against Sherlock's chest, John's eyes still glued to the musgravite. "And did you really find this down there?"

"Unfortunately no. The stones are buried in the bedrock, not the ice, so there was no chance of me finding anything down there."

"Then where did you get-"

"I pinched it from the miner's ship on their way back to sell it. It really was amazing timing on my part."

John laughed against Sherlock's chest, finally tearing his gaze away from the gem to look up at his lover's face, "Why am I not surprised. Bit not good, Sherlock."

"I reasoned that you would get more enjoyment from it than some rich aristocrat who can afford any other jewel they please."

John leant his head back down to press his smile against the gills behind Sherlock's ears. He clenched the musgravite in his left hand, moving his right out of Sherlock's wide grasp to press on the outside of the mer's hand, entrapping it between his own and pulling them forward to rest against John's chest. John toyed with the webbing between the mer's fingers, unable to comprehend what deity blessed him with Sherlock's existence. "I'll let you get away with it just this once."

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked it please **KUDOS** and if you _really_ liked it please **COMMENT!!**
> 
> I had heaps of fun writing this, I hope you guys enjoyed it too! Tomorrow is: **Cuddling somewhere**
> 
> MERLOCK FTW!!!!
> 
> Go on over to my tumblr for updates, some of my merlock art, and other fun things: glow-dark-art.tumblr.com


End file.
